By Dallin Turner
The workouts are done. The interviews are over. All that’s left for former BYU star Jimmer Fredette is to wait for Thursday’s 2011 NBA Draft.
“I’m excited to sit back, relax and watch where I go,” Fredette said after his final workout, with the Utah Jazz last week.
The past couple of months have been hectic for Fredette. After leading BYU to the Sweet 16 and being named the national player of the year, Fredette has been focusing all his efforts on convincing NBA teams that he has what it takes to make it in the next level.
Fredette described the pre-draft workouts as a long, but fun, process.
“It’s very time-consuming and it consumes your mind, as well,” he said. “You think about it all the time.”
Everything started with the league’s pre-draft camp in Chicago on May 19.
ESPN’s Andy Katz reported that Fredette helped himself in front of all the NBA teams.
“He made shots, he didn’t look like he was out of place athletically and, as always, he interviewed well,” Katz said.
Fredette’s first official workout with an NBA team came on May 31 with the Indiana Pacers, owners of the 15th pick of the draft. Indiana seemed impressed with Fredette, posting positive reviews and videos, including one where he made 18 of 22 NBA 3-pointers.
On June 2, Fredette auditioned for the New York Knicks, then with the Sacramento Kings on June 10 and for the Phoenix Suns on June 12. Each workout only brought more positive reviews.
Everything culminated with his final workout for the Utah Jazz against former UConn star Kemba Walker on Wednesday.
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said he was impressed with Fredette’s quickness and competiveness. He also said Fredette played better defense at the workout than he did in the game films, and noted that there’s more to him than just scoring points.
“Everybody knows him for putting up numbers on the board,” Corbin said. “But I think he’s a more complete player than a lot of people give him credit for.”
Last Wednesday was the first and only time two of the premier college guards got to compete against each other in front of an NBA team. Walker was a contender for national player of the year honors and led Connecticut to the NCAA championship.
“The country always wanted to see Kemba and Jimmer play,” Walker said.
The former Huskies guard also took time to praise Fredette a little bit.
“I absolutely think he could play the point guard position on the next level,” Walker said. “Him scoring is just a plus. He made some pretty impressive passes as well. I think he’ll be great.”
Fredette also had kind words for Walker, describing him as “obviously one of the best guards in the country.”
Unfortunately, another one of the best guards in the country, Brandon Knight from Kentucky, didn’t work out with Fredette and Walker, but elected to work out for the Jazz by himself the next day.
Despite working out alone, the Jazz seemed impressed with Knight, and many mock drafts predict him being taken at the No. 3 pick by Utah.
“He showed himself very well,” Corbin told reporters. “He did a really good job. I mean, it was one-on-zero, but [he was able] to show his talent level.”
Fredette admitted that the pre-draft workouts were more stressful than tournament games, comparing them to job interviews. While NBA teams focus on determining players’ athletic abilities, it’s also common for them to conduct personality interviews with their potential picks.
However, he isn’t worried about his performance in the workouts.
“I thought I did very well throughout the process,” Fredette said. “So it’s great to have that type of confidence going into the draft, knowing that you did all you could.”
So now the question remains: Where will Fredette end up this Thursday in the NBA Draft?
Many early mock drafts predicted Fredette to be taken at the end of the lottery or lower. But after receiving positive reviews from each workout, Fredette’s stock has risen.
He did work out with the Knicks, who have the 17th pick, but he also worked out with the Kings, who own the 7th pick.
ESPN’s NBA draft guru, Chad Ford, reported that Sacramento fell in love with Fredette during the season and “had to press hard to get him into the workout.”
Ford also believes that the owners of the Kings, the Maloof brothers, could pressure their GM to select Fredette at No. 7.
So while many Jazz fans are hoping Utah will pick up the former Cougar at No. 12, he might not still be on the board by then.
And despite his solid performance against Walker last week, it is highly unlikely the Jazz will use their No. 3 pick on Fredette.
But as Fredette said, “You really have no idea, it just depends on who’s there and what trades happen. You really can’t tell until June 23.”
